Mark 3:13-19 Meaning: Why Jesus Chose These Twelve Men
13He went up into the mountain and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him.
14He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach
15and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
16Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);
17James the son of Zebedee; and John, the brother of James, (whom he called Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder);
18Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;
19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Then he came into a house.
13And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
13And he goeth up into the mountain, and calleth unto him whom he himself would; and they went unto him.
14And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15and to have authority to cast out demons:
16and Simon he surnamed Peter;
17and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder:
18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphæus, and Thaddæus, and Simon the Cananæan,
19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And he cometh into a house.
13And he goeth up to the mountain, and doth call near whom he willed, and they went away to him;
14and he appointed twelve, that they may be with him, and that he may send them forth to preach,
15and to have power to heal the sicknesses, and to cast out the demons.
16And he put on Simon the name Peter;
17and James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he put on them names--Boanerges, that is, `Sons of thunder;'
18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananite,
19and Judas Iscariot, who did also deliver him up; and they come into a house.
13And he goes up into the mountain, and calls whom he himself would, and they went to him.
14And he appointed twelve that they might be with him, and that he might send them to preach,
15and to have power [to heal diseases, and] to cast out demons.
16And he gave to Simon the surname of Peter;
17and James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he gave them the surname of Boanerges, that is, Sons of thunder;
18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean,
19and Judas Iscariote, who also delivered him up. And they come to [the] house.
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus chose twelve unlikely men to be with Him, learn from Him, and carry His message. This passage shows His purpose and His grace in calling ordinary people.
Context
Mark places this scene at a turning point in Jesus' ministry. Crowds pressed in on Him. Religious leaders began to oppose Him. So Jesus withdrew to a mountain, and Luke tells us He spent the whole night in prayer. When morning came, He called to Himself the men He wanted. Out of a larger group of followers, He appointed twelve to be with Him, to send them out to preach, and to give them authority over sickness and evil spirits. The list that follows includes fishermen, a tax collector, a political radical, and even the one who would later betray Him. These were not the obvious choices by human standards. But Jesus knew exactly what He was doing.
Key Words
The Greek verb for “called to himself” is proskaleitai. It means to summon someone close, to call them near. Jesus did not send out a general invitation. He personally beckoned each one. The initiative was entirely His.
When Mark writes “He appointed twelve,” the original word is epoiēsen, literally “He made twelve.” The same word is used elsewhere for creating or forming something. Jesus was not merely assigning a role; He was shaping a new community. He made them into apostles, which comes from apostellō, meaning “to send.” An apostle is someone sent with a message and the authority of the sender behind him.
Finally, the authority (exousian) Jesus gave them was not their own natural ability. It was delegated power, like a king giving a royal seal to a messenger. They could act in His name because He first called them to be with Him.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have marvelled at the mix of men Jesus chose. Catholic and Orthodox teaching sees in this moment the beginning of a sacred office, passed down through the ages in apostolic succession. Many Protestant traditions emphasize that the apostles were unique eyewitnesses of Jesus' life and resurrection, laying the foundation for the Church. Pentecostal and charismatic Christians point to the authority over demons as a model for spiritual warfare today. What unites these views is the recognition that Jesus deliberately chose flawed, ordinary people, and that He still calls unlikely candidates to follow Him.
A common misunderstanding
Some think that because Judas Iscariot was chosen, Jesus must have been tricked or made a mistake. In fact, Jesus knew from the beginning what Judas would do. The New Testament presents this as part of God's sovereign plan, not a failure of Jesus' judgment. The presence of a traitor among the twelve shows the depth of Jesus' grace: He gave even a future betrayer a place at His table.
Living This Out
Before Jesus sent the apostles out to preach, He first called them to be with Him. That order matters. This week, you might ask yourself: am I trying to serve Jesus without spending time with Jesus? The mountain, the prayer, the personal call, these come before the mission. Find a quiet place. Let Jesus call you near. Let Him speak to you before you speak for Him.
Main takeaway: Jesus chose ordinary people to be with Him, and then He sent them out with His own authority to share His message.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus picked twelve friends to be with Him. He wanted them to learn from Him and help others. He even gave them power to heal sick people. You can be Jesus’ friend too!
For ages 9, 12
Jesus chose a group of very different men to be His apostles. There were fishermen, a tax collector everyone hated, and even a man who later betrayed Him. Jesus knew all about them and still wanted them. He doesn’t expect you to be perfect before you follow Him. He just wants you to come and be with Him. You can trust His choice.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jesus choose twelve apostles instead of ten or twenty?
Twelve probably echoes the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus was forming a new people of God, built on these twelve men as the foundation. The number also provided enough witnesses to testify to His life and resurrection.
What does Boanerges mean and why did Jesus call James and John that?
Boanerges means "Sons of Thunder." It likely refers to their passionate, fiery personalities. Later, they wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan village (Luke 9:54). Jesus gave them a nickname that reflected their raw energy, which He would shape for the kingdom.
Did Jesus make a mistake by choosing Judas?
No. The Gospels show that Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray Him. Judas‘ inclusion was part of God’s sovereign plan. It shows that even rejection cannot derail God’s purposes.
What is the difference between a disciple and an apostle?
A disciple is a learner or follower. An apostle is someone sent with authority. All apostles were disciples, but not all disciples were apostles. In this passage, Jesus appointed twelve from among His larger group of disciples to be apostles.
Why did Jesus pray all night before choosing the apostles?
Luke 6:12 tells us Jesus spent the night in prayer before this event. It shows that even the Son of God sought the Father’s guidance in important decisions. It reminds us to pray when we face life-changing choices.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study